How to Grow Your Hair Longer

We totally understand the constant love-hate relationship with long hair. But if you've recently cut your hair into a pixie, lob, bobwhateverand want to grow it long like Rapunzel's (well, maybe not that long), or you're just jonesing to put your hair into a ponytail, try out this advice from "The Mane Expert" Elizabeth Cunnane Phillips, a trichologist (aka hair and scalp specialist) at Philip Kingsley Trichology Clinic.

Understanding Hair Growth

Understanding Hair Growth

There are three steps of hair growth, says Phillips. "They include: Anagen, the actual growth phase; Catagen, the rest phase, which lasts three or four months; and Telogen, when your hair unanchors from the follicle and sheds away naturally."

Obviously not every hair is on the same cycle, which is why we have hair on our heads at all times. But it's important to know where your hair might be in it's growth phase, so you don't get frustrated when trying to grow your hair longer like Selena's.

What Stunts Hair Growth

What Stunts Hair Growth

"Genetically we're programmed to our rate of growth," says Phillips. However, she told Cosmo that you can improve your lifestyle and hair choices that you make to increase the length of your hair to be long llke Kelly's.

Here are the most known culprits of stunted hair growth that happen internally and externally:

Your general internal health contributes to how long your hair is. So, issues like thyroid problems, hormonal imbalances, etc. could stunt hair growth. Nutrition (weight fluctuation, crash or restrictive diets, high exercise and not enough protein, iron deficiency, etc.) also plays a role in how long your hair will grow. And lastly, stress.

Externally, we are constantly traumatizing our hair by pulling it back too tightly, using hot tools on a too-high temperature, brushing it too hard, and basically doing a number on it and beating it to the growth phase punch.